John Myatt

Between 1986 and 1994, John faked as many as 200 works by artists like Marc Chagall and Alberto Giacometti, fooling collectors and experts alike. He was persuaded to pick up his brush again by the detective who arrested him.

In recent years, he has emulated the style of legendary artists Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh. Comparing himself to an actor immersing himself in a role, he says he climbs into the mind of his chosen artist to adopt, rather than copy, their technique.

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, John explained: “I try to get the artist’s work to hypnotise me. I also surround myself with lots of books. I like to know everything…where he was, what he was doing…when he was painting.”